Island countries of the Indian Ocean : a regional profile

The islands differ widely, however, in climate, topography, and other conditions. This report profiles the disaster prone countries of Madagascar, the Comoros, and Mauritius. It also provides less detailed overviews of the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Reunion. It highlights the region"s proclivity to cyclone and volcanic activity, as well as problems resulting from increasing population densities on many of the islands. The eastern and central Indian Ocean annually receive the high winds and intense, erosive rains of cyclones spawned in the intertropical convergence belt south of the Equator or the monsoon system farther to the north. Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, and the Comoros all lie in either moderate or high risk cyclone areas. In contrast, almost none of the Seychelles or Maldives are in areas of cyclone activity. Reunion and the Comoros possess active volcanoes which have frequent eruptions. These eruptions cause the destruction of thousands of hectares of forest and crop land, as well as necessitate the evacuation of thousands of surrounding inhabitants. According to the report, Madagascar and the Comoros suffer from substantial soil erosion and deforestation due to rising population densities and poor cultivation practices. Soil erosion in the Seychelles, however, is the result of extensive tree-clearing in the colonial period. In light of rising demand, fresh water resources have become a concern in recent years on many of the islands. Surface water is scarce and groundwater is too deep for economical recovery. Each country section of the profile also covers topics such as health, economy, energy resources, government, and transportation and communications infrastructure.